While he was an NFL player, Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters had a seat in rooms that housed two of the greatest wide receiver tandems ever. But he's never seen the special bond that connects his Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

"Very unique, very unique," says Walters in the wake of two very unique deals that keep them in Cincinnati together (where else?) through 2028. "They're like family. They're like true brothers and family."

When Walters broke into the league in 2000 in Minnesota, there were a pair of future Pro Football Hall-of-Famers at the position. Cris Carter was 11 years older than Randy Moss when they played together during the four years from 1998-2001.

"That was more like big brother-little brother," Walters says. "Tough love. They were fine with each other. They were just at different stages in their lives and careers."

When Walters played with the Colts from 2002-05, he found himself early in the stretch where Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Marvin Harrison teamed with six-time Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne for 134 touchdowns during eight seasons.

"Marv was just a quiet introvert. They liked each other. No animosity. They were just different," Walters says. "It wasn't, 'We're going to travel the world together.'"

But just check out Instagram. Chase and Higgins do. Or at least hang.

"For each of them to be No. 1 caliber receivers and not have any egos … I've never seen them in the four years they've been together have any animosity or jealousy," Walters says. "They're special."

When it comes to those duos, Chase and Higgins are right there. In their four seasons together, they have 658 catches, 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns while Carter and Moss posted 645, 9,793, and 70 respectively.

In their eight seasons in Indianapolis, Harrison and Wayne went for 1,265 catches, 17,158 yards and 134 touchdowns. If you double the first four seasons of Chase and Higgins, it goes 1,316, 18,224 and 148.

They're also in the mix to beat the nine years of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in the Rams' Greatest Show On Turf: 1,435 catches, 21,310 yards and 126 touchdowns.

NEXT STEPS

Both Chase and Higgins say a reason they like it here is because of Walters, who can also dish out the tough love. Even before pen was put to paper this week, Walters already knew the challenges he's going to outline for each.

Chase may be richer than college chum Justin Jefferson, but Walters is still putting on his tape for Chase to watch.

"I'll put together a cutup of what he can still work on to get better," Walters says. "His overall route running can improve. I look at Justin Jefferson as probably the top pure route runner in the game. There are areas where I think Ja'Marr can get closer to him. You're always trying to challenge guys."

After Higgins missed 10 games in the last two years, Walters says the charge is not to miss a game.

"Tee's biggest (challenge) is to stay healthy. Whatever he's got to do to take care of his body. Some injuries are freak. You can't prevent it," Walters says. "But some of the pulls and the strains … For him, the challenge is to play 17 games. If he plays 17 games, I think his numbers will be with the best of them."

Walters knows they'll do what's ever asked because he's watched the fire of Chase and Higgins singe many of the biggest moments of the last four years. They have different styles, but the one thing they have in common is the ability to make the chunk play. Chase does it with his speed and slippery leverage. Higgins does it with dominating size and vertical leaping.

Walters is also just a flat-out fan of the intensity each bring. He looks at Chase's relentless play time from last year, when he played slightly more than 92% of the plays with 1,054 snaps. He almost led receivers last year in catches, yards, touchdown catches and plays, trailing only D.J. Moore (1,066) and Jerry Jeudy (1,061).

Since he's been in the league, Chase has played 83% of the Bengals' snaps, or 3,676 downs for the eighth-most snaps taken by a receiver since 2021.

"Everyone sees what he does on game day, but his preparation and his practice habits are elite. He doesn't take off any reps," Walters says. "It's the same way he practices. He wants all the reps he can get. Just the mindset. He doesn't come out much. When he does, it's one play here and there, then he's back in the game. He practices the same way where he just doesn't miss much. To be able to do that, his conditioning is pretty impressive."

DEALMAKERS

Rocky Arceneaux, the agent for Chase and Higgins, and the Bengals pulled off Tuesday's rare solar event with two major deals for players at the same position on the same team.

Arceneaux, a veteran of more than 30 years in the agent game, had a full-circle moment with the club. As he celebrated with slices of a pizza supplied by Bengals equipment staffers, he recalled the 1994 scouting combine when he toured Indianapolis with his client Marshall Faulk, the San Diego State running back, New Orleans native, and odds-on favorite to be the overall No. 1 pick.

The Bengals had the pick, and Arceneaux thought he would be negotiating that record deal in Cincinnati. In the ensuing two months between the combine and the draft, Ohio State defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson and his monstrous workouts also emerged as a consensus No. 1, and the Bengals went defense.

But on Tuesday, the Bengals secured Chase, another New Orleans phenom, for the long term with that record deal that eluded Arceneaux 31 years ago. Add Higgins and the fact Chase's running style reminds many of the low-to-the-ground Faulk, and karma proved to be the topping of the day.

"I thought we had one. Now 30 years later we've got two," Arceneaux said.

When Arceneaux and assistant Caitlin Aoki walked out of Tuesday's final session at Paycor with Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn and director of player personnel Duke Tobin, the deals for a combined yearly average of $69 million were the highest ever for non-quarterback teammate duos.

It was a first for the Bengals too, as Blackburn added to her already full resume. Twice she's done the richest deals ever (Joe Burrow and Carson Palmer) and now in one day she wrapped up the richest non-quarterback deal to go with a top-tier receiver deal.

"You have to give credit all the way around," Arceneaux said. "It just shows the feeling Ja'Marr and Tee have for each other. Joe (Burrow) obviously felt strong about it. Those guys made a commitment to each other. They wanted to see things through with Joe and it was important to me to try and make it happen."

This year's scouting combine apparently provided the turning point for the negotiations.

While Cincinnati reporters were interviewing special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons at a downtown Indy hotel, Blackburn and Arceneaux slid past the group and into a room where she told the agent the Bengals wanted to sign Higgins and not trade him while on the franchise tag.

The deals then started to come together.

"It was a trust factor with those guys and the organization," Arceneaux said.

Not to mention karma.

Arceneaux also could confirm that Bengals president Mike Brown, a big fan of quarterbacks and receivers, was in an upbeat mood when he walked into Tuesday's meeting to greet the players.

"I haven't seen him smile like that in a long time," Arceneaux said. "Hopefully those guys bring the Super Bowls to him. I know that's what he's committed to."